7

34 GOURMET TRAVELLER

INTERVIEW LEE TRAN LAM

There’s an intimacy to

Taiwan;people really feel

like they’re home when

they’re there. The main

ingredient in my latest

fragrance is jasmine,

which is the flower I grew

up with in Taiwan. My

neighbours had a whole

wall of it; we used to go pick

the flowers with my cousin.

That’s what’s amazing about

scent – it really takes you

way back. Suddenly I’m on a

street near my family’s house.

I always love Paris.I went to

school in Rennes in France

as an exchange student and we’d take the

train to Paris. That was the first time we

saw all the fancy big boutiques. I knew I

wanted to be a fashion designer by then,

but seeing fashion on that next scale

completely blew my mind.

When you don’t travel, your vision of the

world is limited.When I was growing up,

if you didn’t leave the country, you didn’t

experience anything else. I think travel

is what’s informed my work. I really find

it visually thrilling.

I’m always noticing everything.I think

that’s my job, to observe, whether it’s

looking at buildings or how people

dress on the street. I actually designed a

collection of cotton dresses inspired by a

stay at Hotel Esencia in Tulum – they use

a lot of primary colours and flowers. It’s

also where I got married two years ago.

I really wanted something personal

• it’s a small resort and it felt like a big
  reunion. I did something with my parents
  separately in Taiwan before. Tulum was
  a three-day party, which would be rather
  inappropriate for my parents to see.

Always pack an extra charger.It’s very

important, especially when you have

a long delay. And bring as many little

luxuries as you can – I always bring an

Evian spray, and if it’s over eight hours

I’ll use a Japanese sheet eye mask. Those

little things really make a difference.

I’ve flown with my dresses many times.

I promised Diane Kruger last year that

if her film,In the Fade, got in to Cannes

I’d make her première dress and come

with her. And that’s what I did

• I took the dress from New York to
  Nice, and from there to the helicopter.
  I always use a lot of tissue paper with
  a long garment bag. And I always hang
  the dress as soon as I get on the flight.

I delivered the inauguration dress to

Michelle Obama in 2008.Iflewitto

Chicago myself. I thought: I’m going to

fly over there, it’s only three hours, after

all the hours I worked on the dress. It was

a white chiffon gown, embroidered with

thousands of handmade flowers. It was

this vision of pure beauty, something that

really reflected the optimism and felt like a

fresh beginning. It was the biggest surprise

when she walked out that night. To be

part of that moment, when the whole

world was watching, felt significant.●

How I travel

Jason Wu’s eau de parfum is

available at select David Jones

and Myer stores, from $75 for 30ml.

Jason

Wu

Have frock, will travel.

The A-list fashion designer

onthepoweroflowers

and personal deliveries.

TRAVELLING WITH

Just back from...

Taiwan. I was there

to see my family

• it’s where I grew
  up, so I really love
  it dearly. I try to
  go back as often
  as possible.

Next up...

To Malaysia for a

day, for a project

I’m working

on. And then

New York, then

Shanghai at the

end of the month.